Illuminated greeting cards



March 18, 1958 w. LElKA ILLUMINATED GREETING CARDS 2 Sheets-Sheet l 1Filed Nov. 27, 1953 INVENTOR. LEIKA WALTER Arm/mew March 18, 1958 w.LEIKA 2,

ILLUMINATED GREETING CARDS Filed Nov. 27, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOKWALTER LEIKA Unite States Patent Ofilice 2,826,844 Patented Mar. 18,1958 ILLUMINATED GREETING CARDS Walter Leika, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application November 27, 1953, Serial No. 394,671

1 Claim. (Cl. 40--152.2)

This invention relates to illuminated greeting cards, and has for itsmain object the provision of a generally improved card of this type.

Among the .objects of the invention are to make the greeting card ascompact and thin as possible; provide an improved means for closing acircuit through the lamp bulb thereof responsive to opening of the card;promote certainty of operation on each occasion on which the card isopened; and, as one of the most important objects, reduce to a minimumthe overall cost of manufacture of the card.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects andadvantages thereof, reference will be had to the following descriptionand accompanying drawings, and to the appended claim in which thevarious novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

in the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a greeting card according to theinvention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevational view of the card opened.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the opened card in which part has beenbroken away.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view on line 55 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of .a modification, the card being openedand the housing removed.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary plan view showing the battery and switch deviceof the .form of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a view like Fig. 7 showing another modificatlon.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view on line -99 of Fig. 8.

Fig. lO is a fragmentary plan view of the back panel of the Fig. 8 form.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the contact element of the form of Fig.8.

In Figs. 1-5, the card includes a rectangular, fiat back panel 12 ofcardboard or other electrically insulative material integrally hinged toa similarly dimensioned front panel 14 by a web part 16. A rectangular,shallow housing 18 overlies the back panel and has a peripheral flange20 adhesively or otherwise secured to the top, bottom, and outer sideedge portion of the back panel, said housing being open along its innerside edge (Fig. 5) for dissipation of heat emanating from theilluminated lamp bulb of the device. A suitable picture or otherrepresentation is delineated on the housing, and has apertures 22 shapedas stars, house windows, or as any other part of the pictorialrepresentation which one may desire to illuminate.

Adjacent the lower edge of the back panel, spaced tabs 24 are strucktherefrom, and are engaged with opposite ends of a miniature battery 26.A first conductive strip 28 of thin copper leaf or the like isadhesively secured to the back panel and has one end 30 pressed againstthe post 32 of the battery by a rubber band 34 tensioned about thebattery and tabs, the post extending through an aperture in the adjacenttab (Fig. 5).

The other end of the strip is engaged against the base terminal of aflashlight bulb 36 secured to the back panel, and wrapped about theconductive side wall of the bulb is one end of a second conductive strip38. Strip 38 is also adhesively secured to the back panel and has itsother end extended under the battery (it being understood that thebattery has the usual electrically insulative wrapping), said other endof strip 38 being tightly wrapped as at 40 about the intermediateportion of an elongated, non-conductive elastic member 42 such as abroken rubber band.

The member 42 extends in parallelism with the lower edge of the backpanel in closely spaced relation thereto, and at one end is anchored tothe back panel by staples 44 or equivalent means.

An electrically conductive contact element 46, formed from a small blankof inexpensive sheet metal material, is formed integrally at one endwith a clip 48 of inverted U-shape straddling that tab 24 remote frompost 32 of the battery. As shown in Fig. 5, the rubber band 34 holds Oneleg of the clip against the end of the conductive battery casing, thatis, against the other post of the battery, said leg being interposedbetween the adjacent tab 24 and the battery end.

Contact element 46' extends laterally of the battery, and at its freeend is apertured for extension of the elastic member 42 therethrough,thus providing a guide for the elastic member. Registering with theguide aperture is the guide opening of a guide tab 50 struck from thematerial of the back panel, the elastic member also extending throughsaid guide opening.

The other end of the elastic member 42 is anchored to the front panel bystaples 52, and when the card is closed, the member 42 will not be undertension. In this condition of the parts, the member 42 will contract tohold the end 40 of conductive strip 38 out of contact with contactelement 46, and as a result, the bulb will not be energized.

When, however, the front panel is swung open, pull will be exerted onthe elastic member 42, placing the same under tension and shifting stripend 40 into engagement with contact element 46. A circuit will thus beclosed through the lamp bulb, causing the pictorial representation to beilluminated responsive to opening of the card, and to remain illuminateduntil the card is closed.

In Figs. 6 and 7, a modified card 54 has a back panel 56 integrallyhinged to a front panel 58 by a web part 60, the panels and web beingnon-conductive. A battery 62 is engaged between struck out tabs 64 ofthe back panel by a rubber band 66 circumposed thereabout. A firstconductive strip 68 has one end pressed against one post of the batteryby the rubber band, and is adhesively secured to the back panel, theother end of strip 68 being engaged with the base terminal of a lampbulb 70. A second conductive strip 72 has one end wrapped about the sideof the bulb, and has its other end extended under the battery andtightly wrapped as at 74 about the midlength portion of an elasticmember 76 anchored at one end by a staple 78 to the back panel. A pairof slits 80 formed in the back panel define a guide bridging theintermediate portion of the elastic member, and anchoring the other endof said member to the front panel are staples 82. Slits 80 could, ifdesired, be utilized also in the first form.

A tab 84 is struck out of the back panel adjacent end 74 of strip 72,and has an aperture receiving a contact element 86 formed from a shortlength of conductive wire material. Element 86, at that end thereofsupported by tab 84, is formed with an eye 88 through which is looselypositioned the elastic member 76, it being understood that member 76 isof non-electrically-conductive material. The eye is so proportioned asto be smaller than the enlargement defined by the wrapped end 74 of thestrip 72. As a result, when the card is opened, end 74 will be shiftedinto engagement with the eye 38 to make electrical contact therewith.

The other end of the contact element 86 is engaged between the otherpost or side of the battery and the adjacent tab 64, by pressure exertedthrough the tensioned rubber band 66. When, accordingly, the card isopened, a circuit will be closed to illuminate the lamp bulb, saidcircuit being closed as long as the card remains open, and being openedwhen the card is closed. The card 54 will of course have a housing 18 onwhich a suitable pictorial representation is provided.

In Figs. 8-11, another modified card 90 has a back panel, front panel,and web part similar to those of the forms hereinbefore described. Theback panel has here been designated 92, and struck therefrom areapertured tabs 94 (Fig. 10), a slot 96 extending between the openingsdefined by striking out the tabs, to provide a seat for the battery.Further, slits 98 analogous to the slits 80 are formed in the backpanel.

The battery 100 is engaged between tabs 94 by pressure exerted through arubber band 102, this being twisted in a figure eight form to exertdownward pressure on the battery tending to hold the same in its seat.Band 102 presses one end of a conductive strip 104 against one post ofthe battery, the strip leading to one side of a lamp bulb, from theother side of which extends a conductive strip 106. Strip 106 extendsunder battery 100, and is wrapped tightly at 108 about an elastic member110 anchored at one end, as at 112, to the back panel.

A contact element 114 (Fig. 11) is formed from a thin sheet metalblankand shaped to include a clip 116 of inverted V shape the legs ofwhich are tensioned to spring outwardly from one another. In one of saidlegs, as shown in Fig. 9, a node 118 is struck out to engage in theaperture of the adjacent tab 94. legs of the clip are pressed together,both being engaged between tab 94 and the adjacent end of the battery bythe pressure of the rubber band 102.

Formed on the other leg, at opposite sides thereof, are outwardlyprojecting ears 120, 122, ear 122 being apertured. On the lower end ofthe same leg are formed transversely spaced, elongated, tapered prongs124 between which is provided a pointed lug 126 bendable under the backpanel (Fig. 9) to secure the contact element in place. Prongs 124 extendunder the battery and are normally closely spaced from the conductivestrip 106, when the card is closed.

When the card is opened, the elastic member will be stretched to shiftthat portion of strip 106 that extends '4 under battery 100, againstprongs 124, closing a circuit and illuminating the card.

The purpose of cars 120, 122 is to provide pro'jection's under which therubber band 102 is extended (Fig. 8). Further, ear 122, being aperturedfor extension of member 110 therethrough, provides a guide for saidmember 110.

It is to be understood that in place of conventional wiring a printedfoil circuit or metalized paper may be used for making contacts forillumination of light bulb.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of myinvention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to theprecise constructions herein disclosed and the right is reserved to allchanges and modifications coming within the scope of the invention asdefined in the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by United States Letters Patent In a folder type greeting cardhaving a pair of hinged folds with a pictorial representation carried onone of the folds, an electric battery and a lamp bulb interposed betweenthe folds adapted to illuminate said pictorial representation, anelectric switch for closing the electric circuit through said lamp bulbupon hinging movement of one of the folds relative to the other, saidswitch including an elongated stretchable actuating member anchored atits ends to the folds and spanning the hinge juncture therebetween,flexible conductive strips connected at one end of the terminals of thelamp bulb, the other end of one of said strips being connected to oneterminal of the battery, the other end of the other conductive stripencircling end constituting a movable switch member, a conducting clipon said other end of the battery in the path of movement of saidencircling end of the conductive strip whereby upon manually openingsaid folds relative to each other the actuating member will stretch andcarry said encircling end of the conductive strip into contact with saidconducting clip for closing the circuit through the lamp bulb to lightthe bulb, said stretchable member serving to close the folds and opensaid circuit when the folds are manually released, so that the lightbulb is automatically extinguished.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,843,980 Hotchner Feb. 9, 1932 2,298,754 Davis Oct. 13, 1942 2,391,231Edwards Dec. 18, 1945 2,607,145 Pope Aug. 19, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS542,250 Great Britain Jan. 1, 1942 935,310 France June 16, 1948

